Description
Santa’s Trash Cookies are a festive and indulgent holiday treat loaded with a delightful mix of sweet and salty flavors. These cookies feature a rich buttery dough combined with m&m’s, peanut butter chips, potato chips, and broken pretzels for a crunchy texture. Finished with a sprinkle of flaked sea salt, these cookies are perfect for sharing during the Christmas season or anytime you crave a fun and satisfying snack.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
Mix-ins
- ¾ cup m&m’s
- ½ cup peanut butter chips
- ½ cup potato chips
- ½ cup broken pretzels
Topping
- Flaked sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 365°F (185°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter, packed brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat on medium-high speed for 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture and mix until incorporated completely.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and flour to the wet ingredients. Mix slowly and carefully to avoid overmixing—stop when you still see some flour remnants around the bowl.
- Fold in Mix-ins: Gently fold in the m&m’s, peanut butter chips, potato chips, and broken pretzels to distribute them evenly throughout the dough.
- Scoop onto Baking Sheets: Using a ¼ cup cookie or ice cream scoop, form large dough balls and place 6 to 8 on each prepared baking sheet. Add a few extra m&m’s and other mix-ins on top of the dough balls, then sprinkle lightly with flaked sea salt.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 11 to 14 minutes. Look for cookies with a nice golden-brown exterior and a slightly glossy texture inside. To maintain shape, gently use a spatula to round the edges of any cookies that have spread too much.
Notes
- Santa’s Trash Cookies are a holiday twist on the classic kitchen sink cookie, perfect for using up a mix of sweet and salty ingredients from your pantry.
- Feel free to swap or add other mix-ins like chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit based on your preference.
- Be careful not to overmix the dough after adding dry ingredients, as this could make cookies tough.
- Scooping large dough balls helps achieve a chewy center with crisp edges.
- Sprinkling flaked sea salt on top enhances the sweet and salty flavor balance.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 269 kcal
- Sugar: 21 g
- Sodium: 282 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 37 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 44 mg
